[Greek] ἀνθίστημι (anthistēmi), [Latin] resistere, [Latin] avertere, [French] detourner: to resist, to stand against, to withstand, to cope, to set against; Mt.5:39, Lk.21:15, Acts 6:10, Acts 13:8, Rom.9:19, Rom.13:2, Gal.2:11, Eph.6:13, 2Tim.3:8, 2Tim.4:15, Jas.4:7, 1Pet.5:9
Resistance, protesting, and speaking out against evil are required in order to be faithful to God. Resisting the devil must be accompanied by submission to God. Too many clergy, seeking to be validated (accepted) by the world, have cowardly remained quiet.
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means to set against, to match with, to set against, to withstand, to hold out, and to hinder.
Plutarch’s Theseus 1: “With such a warrior who will dare to fight? When I shall I set against him?”
Homer’s Iliad 16.305: “They still sought to withstand him.”
Sophocles Ajax 1231: “So it is you, they tell me, who dared open your mouth wide to make fierce threats against us–and are you still unpunished?”
Sophocles’ Tracking Satyrs 256: “I won’t put up with your loud quarrelsome words.”
Old Testament: This term means to be alert, to be courageous, to cause strife, to take a stand, to resist, to rebel, to contend, to be strong, to be insolent, to deceive, and to be hardened.
New Testament: This term means to resist (oppose), to offer no resistance, and to be unable to resist. For purposes of brevity, Jesus’ teachings on turning the other check (Mt.5:39) is mentioned in another post. https://resoundingthefaith.com/2020/11/16/greek-%e1%bc%80%ce%bd%ce%b8%ce%af%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b7%ce%bc%ce%b9-anthistemi-latin-contendere-latin-resistere/ (How can I resist being able to promote another post! ☺☺☺
Scripture:
Lk.21:15: I shall give you a wisdom in speaking (from the Holy Spirit) that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. (Interestingly, this scripture appears in light of Jesus’ foretelling a coming persecution. (Some will be seized, persecuted, handed over, imprisoned, and brought before authorities.)
Acts 6:10: They could not withstand the wisdom and Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
Acts 13:8: Elymas the magician opposed them in an attempt to turn away the proconsul away from the faith. (Paul calls Elymas, the son of the devil, full of deceit and fraud and twisting the straight paths of the Lord.)
Rom.9:19: Why then does He still find fault? For who can oppose His will? (God grants us free will to do as we choose. Yet, God grants mercy upon whom He wills and God hardens whom He wills.)
Gal.2:11: I [Paul] opposed Peter to his face because he clearly was wrong. (Paul criticized Peter for improper table fellowship with the Gentiles. Kosher food regulations had not yet been settled.)
Eph.6:13: Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and to hold your ground.
2Tim.3:8-9: Jannes and Jambres also opposed the truth–people of depraved mind, unqualified in the faith, for their foolishness will be plain to all. (Jannes and Jambres were part of Pharaoh’s inner circle who discredited the truth in Moses.)
2Tim.4:15: You too be on guard against him [Alexander], for he has strongly resisted the our preaching. (Alexander did Paul a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay Alexander according to his deeds.)
Jas.4:7: Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (The devil is essentially associated with disobedience, pride, and rebellion.)
1Pet.5:9: Resist the devil, be steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.
Antihistamine: This is substance (drug) that counteracts or blocks the effects of a histamine which cause the symptoms of hay fever and other allergies.
Conclusion:
Antihistamine, histamine, resist, resistance, contend, contention, detour
Oftentimes in difficult situations, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will provide the needed words to resist or refute opponents.
Update: Pope Francis’ papacy continues to be identified with liturgical confusion and chaos. In their efforts to remake Jesus’ Church into a worldly synodal Church in the image of man, Pope Francis continues to make reference of the ‘spirit of surprises’ as validation for their worldly and sinful reforms. Yet the Holy Spirit cannot validate or condone sin! So what spirit are they referring to ??
Aftermath (response) to Fiducia Supplicans: This has created an inflection point for our Church: Do we want a Church that blesses evil?? Many of the faithful opposition are clearly seeing (with the help of the Holy Spirit) that the Modernists in the Vatican are succumbing to the values of the world. Are you surprised?
Some clergy and laity, being faithful the traditions of the Church, are now being deposed (Bishop Strickland), marginalized (traditional Catholics), and cancelled (Fr. Jesus Mary Missigbeto) by Pope Francis’ Modernists policies.
Like Elymas, the Vatican is intentionally using sophistry (word games) and verbal gymnastics in their statements and documents. The ‘pope-splainers’ are in full force defending the Vatican. Yet many of us can see through their efforts.
The Modernists, failing to acknowledge and solve the disastrous spiritual and pastoral consequences of Vatican II, continue to pursue their Modernist efforts to remake Jesus Church into the image of man. These Modernists have become “true believers” in their cause. These Modernists have now become blinded by their ideology. Perhaps God’s providence is allowing this, in order for all of us to see and stand up to their destructive actions.
There continues to be this battle against evil in the Church and the culture. Satan continues to exert his influence among the clergy in his efforts to undermine the Church. We have clergy who are blessing sin and undermining the Church (God’s moral laws, Church teachings, and the definition of sin).
At various universities, many college students, are not even knowing what they are protesting about. They are even finding themselves supporting pro-Hamas causes and anti-Semitism rallies, rather than initially supporting a ceasefire in Gaza. THEIR FOOLISHNESS IS PLAIN TO SEE by all.
Cardinal Parolin, part of Pope Francis’ inner circle, has now recently stated that these Modernist reforms will remain in the Church. This cardinals says this in light of the continued liturgical chaos and opposition to Pope Francis’ reforms.
All Catholics and Christians must be prepared and vigilant to fight against the subtle influences of Satan in the Church and the world. Satan influences and controls us through busyness, distraction, rebellion, disobedience, worldliness, worldly values, vulnerabilities, and pride. Satan will do whatever he can to undermine the Church, God’s moral laws, and obedience to church teachings. Satan hides in obscurity rather than in plain view.
Satan is the epitome of pride and rebellion. Faithfulness and obedience to Church teachings and God’s laws will drive Satan away.
St. Anthony of the Desert:
“The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the sign of the cross.”